Canning apparatus.



PATENTED JUNE 11, 1907.

J. K. PHARR.

GANNING APPARATUS.

APPLIOATION FILED JAN. 19, 1907.

2 SHEETS-BHBET 1.

4. W0 mh P do .m K n In 0 J No. 856,909. PATENTED JUNE 11, 1907.

' J. K. PHARR.

GANNING APPARATUS.

APPLIOATION FILED JAN. 19, 1907.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Elnvcufoz John King phat"? UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CANNING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 1 1, 1907.

Application filed January 19, 1907. Serial No. 353,158.

To all whmn it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN KING PHARR, a citizen ofthe United States of America, residing at Catherine, in the county of Wilcox and State of Alabama, have invented new and useful Improvements in Canning Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to canning apparatus, having for its object the production of a simple, reliable and efficient construction of apparatus in which provision is made for simultaneously carrying out the operation of cooking and processing fruits and vegetables in the most thorough and efficient manner; a further object being to provide an arrangement of parts for utilizing all of the heat from the inclosed fire box to maintain the boiling water at the desired temperature to enable the operation of processing to be carried out without the liability of injuring the contents of the filled cans.

A canning apparatus constructed in accordance with my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the apparatus. Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section of the same. Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a detail section on line 44 of Fig. 1.

Referrim now more particularly to the drawings, the numeral 1 designates the body of the apparatus which forms a boiler, and is preferably constructed of galvanized sheet metal. As shown, the body or boiler comprises a bottom 2, front and rear walls 3 and 4, side walls 5 and 6 and a division wall or partition 7, the latter dividing the interior of the boiler into two longitudinal chambers or compartments 8 and 9.

The compartments 8 and 9 occupy the respective halves of the boiler on opposite sides of its longitudinal center, and are 00- extensive in length and width, but vary in height, the portions of the walls forming the compartments 8 extending above the top of the compartment 9, the latter being approximately a little greater than half the height of the compartment 8. In constructing the two chambers or compartments of the boiler in this manner, the portions of the front and rear walls 3 and 4 forming the compartment 8 in conjunction with the side wall 5 and partition 7 are extended a sul'licient distance above the walls of the compartment 9, to increase the depth of the compartment 8 to the desired degree relative to the shallower compartment 9.

The longitudinal dividing wall or partition 7 has its upper portion arranged to form one of the side walls of the compartment 8 and its lower portion arranged to separate the lower portion of said compartment from the compartment 9. Both compartments .are open at the top, and their walls are suit ably reinforced at their upper edges by bending the metal outwardly to form a rim 10 inelosing a stout reinforcing wire 11.

A fire box 12, made of sheet metal, extends through the lower portion of the partition 7 equally into both compartments and is provided at its rear with a smoke 'l'lue or pipe 13 leading outwardly through the rear wall of the compartment 9 and connected with an exterior outlet pipe 14 by a coupling or elbow 15 through which the products of combustion discharge from the fire box. The fire box is supported from the bottom wall 2 of the boiler, which is common to both compartments, upon supporting legs 16 and is spaced at all sides from the walls of the compartments so as to leave intervening channels for the reception and. circulation of the water therein. The partition 7 surrounds the bodyof the fire box closely enough to form a water-tight joint to prevent the passage of water from one compartment to another. In the fire box is arranged a fuel supporting grate 17 which may be of any preferred construction. The front of the fire box is secured to the front wall of the boiler in any suitable manner. Fuel and draft openings are provided in the front wall of the boiler and communicate with the front end of the fire box and are adapted to be closed by sliding doors 18 moving in grooved guideways 19.

The two compartments 8 and 9 are designed to be filled with water to a desired level, the greater-capacity of the compartment 8 adapting it to receive a greater quantity, the column of water therein extending to a greater height in order to adapt said compartment to be used as a cooking compartment for the preservation of fruits or vegetables. The compartment 9 is designed to serve as a processing compartment.

The top of the fire box 12 limits the effective water-containing spaces of the compartments for the reception of the crates, baskets or containers in which the fruits or vegetables and cans of material to be cooked or processed may be placed. The fire box may serve as a support for these receptacles to hold the same in position during the canning or processing operation.

It will be observed that the heat radiated from the fire box will be diffused through the compartments and heat the water therein to the boiling point or desired temperature. The effective receiving space of the compartment 8 is large enough to permit the cages containing the iruits or vegetables to be cooked to be thoroughly submerged in the water therein, while the effective containing space of the compartment 9 is relatively shallower so that the tops of the cans containing the fruits or vegetables to be processed will extend above the level of the water therein, thugpreventing the water from gaining access thereto through the air holes and spoiling the contents. By the construction described, if the compartment 9 should contain too much Water a portion thereof may be dipped therefrom and transferred to the compartment 8, and vice versa.

Arranged upon the front wall 3 or some other suitable portion of the boiler for use in connection with each compartment is a pair of dials 20 and 21 in connection with which are employed hands or pointers 22 and 23 pivoted for rotary movement around the same. The dial 20 is graduated and marked to represent an hour dial, while the dial 21 is similarly graduated and marked to represent a minute dial. These indicators are placed upon the casing for conveniencein enabling the operator to determine the time when the fruits or vegetables to be cooked or processed should be removed from the compartment, an important matter in devices of this kind where different fruits or vegetables are cooked to different degrees and for different periods and should be promptly removed when cooked to the desired'extent in order to prevent them from being spoiled. If the fruits or vegetables placed in either compartment are to be cooked or processed for a period of twelve minutes and are placed therein at one oclock, the operator at the time of inserting them arranges the hand 22 to the point 1 on the dial 20 and the hand 23 to point at the twelfth graduation on the dial 21, thus reminding him of the fact that the goods must be removed after an interval of 12 minutes 1 or at 12 minutes after one. The convenience of this construction of indicator will be readily appreciated.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new, is

1. A canning apparatus comprising a boiler having portions of different heights, a vertical partition separating said portions to form compartments, and a heater projecting through the partition into .the compartments.

2. A canning apparatus comprising a boiler having walls terminating at different levels, producing compartments, one higher than the other, a vertical partition separating said compartments, and a heater extending through the partition into the compartments and regulating the effective upper receiving spaces thereof.

3. A canning apparatus comprising a boiler divided to form two compartments, one of the compartments being of greater height than the other, and a fire box extending through the partition partially into one and partially into the other compartment and having its top arranged to limit the effective upper receiving spaces of both compartments.

4. A canning apparatus comprising a boiler having front, rear and side walls, one of the side walls and the adjacent portions of the front and rear walls being extended above the opposite side wall and the other portions of' the front and rear walls to produce compartments, one of greater height than the other, a partition wall separating said compartments and extending upwardly to form the inner side Wall of the higher compartments, and a fire box extending through the partition into both compartments and spaced at all sides from the walls thereof.

5. A canning apparatus comprising a boiler having its forming walls terminating on opposite sides of its longitudinal center to produce portions of difierent heights, a vertical partition separating said portions into compartments, and a heater extending through the partition into the compartments and having its upper wall arranged to limit the depth of insertion of vessels into the com partments, whereby the heater regulates the depth of the upper receiving spaces of said compartments.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN KING PHARR.

Wvitnesses JOHN ARRINGTON, H. A. PHARR. 

